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macdo

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Jan 20, 2006
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Sitting in an upmarket cafe today with my wife and daughter enjoying lunch. My daughter asked me to open the clamshell pack of somethign she had bought so I pulled out the black OHT (not my EDC, that's a Swisslite these days, but I had used it earlier and it was in my pocket). This led to a pointed discussion about the inappropriateness (or otherwise) of waving a large scary knife about in public and then my general interest in knives. Quite put me off my coffee.

May have to move the really large scary knives well out of sight for a while...
 
I once took out a Spydie Endura to cut a steak in a restaurant and my wife nearly went apoplectic.:) Carry what you like, to Hell with "appropriate".:thumbup:
 
That's why I carry a SAK Cadet or Case Peanut, as well as a Leatherman Wave. Small knives can do anything big knives can do as far as an EDC is concerned, and not raise any eyebrows. For anything bigger, I have my Wave, but to be honest, I never need it to cut ANYTHING!!! Even "big" jobs get handled by my Peanut, or Cadet. Heck, at work I skinned an alligator with my Peanut, a tiny Case two bladed folder, and I used the small pen knife on it to do it. Appropriate? Well, my mom always told me "There's a place for everything, and everything has it's place." I can totally see how someone would get scared seeing a big OHT whipped out to open a package. However, a Cadet, Peanut, or Classic? Gets the job exactly the same, maybe even easier, and won't arouse any fear, suspiciousness, (is that a word), or complaints. Just something to think about.
 
Yeah, but the OHT is a big blade, with serrations, and doesn't look like a SAK, but a tacticool in someone's hand, so I can see how it would confuse and worry someone.
 
Hasten to add it was my wife who made the comments - evryone else in the place seemed oblivious, or too scared to catch my eye...
 
Despite the story about the Endura I have to be honest and say I only carry SAKs now. Not because of what people might think however, just because of the utiliy factor. Besides I haven't had to sneak up on sentrys and do battle in ages;) ;) ;)
 
macdo said:
Sitting in an upmarket cafe today with my wife and daughter enjoying lunch. My daughter asked me to open the clamshell pack of somethign she had bought so I pulled out the black OHT (not my EDC, that's a Swisslite these days, but I had used it earlier and it was in my pocket). This led to a pointed discussion about the inappropriateness (or otherwise) of waving a large scary knife about in public and then my general interest in knives. Quite put me off my coffee.

May have to move the really large scary knives well out of sight for a while...
Click to expand...

Large scary knives!?!?!? You are talking about One hand SAK, are you?

LOL!! Large scary knife...LOL

I have it as my EDC for the last 3 days. I carry it in a sheath on my belt in the office, at home...almost everywhere. It is not large and definitelly the ONLY scary thing is its sharpness!! For me it is perfect.

I've showed it to 5 people. No one was scared. The only thing i heard was "Great knife!".

I realy do not inderstand these "scared" people. You can tell them that the problem usually is not in the knife but in the person that uses it. THE kNIFE IS ONLY A TOOL!

I wish you the luck to own every blade you like:-) Don't care about what these scared people think.
 
But the OHT makes a *click* sound when you open it:eek:

It is a great knife though; would be even better with a pocket clip:)
 
ive got no problem with big scary knives (cept some guy with a commando knife or the like in the grocery store etc.)
and i think folks should carry what they wish-provided its legal
nor am i criticising anyone -i have run out on weekends with huge knives in my pocket from doing gardening and household chores-(in my life 'huge' is a 111mm SAK or multi tool SAK)

however

to be oblivious of the impact of one's actions ...well thats where standing on your rights can get you into trouble...try explaining your big scary knife used in a starbucks to a cop who been called by a fearful mother or manager..at the very least its gonna cost you some time even if they let you go about your business eventually

to me its not about YOUR intentions..its often about how folks perceive you...thats the crux imho

its one of the aspect that makes me avoid 'business like' tech knives-they appeal to my macho male side indeed-but they look bad ass to everyone whos not in control of the knife-even the rescue tool in its bright yellow instead of black is imho less threatenting

nowadays i think theres much less tolerance and a lot more fear

frankly one of the things i agree with is a small knife can just about do it all, and when folks see it they dont freak-more folks are willing to cut you slack

thats the beauty of a red or colored sak-its familiar and its not sinister-even more so with an executive or classic sized SAK

you can tell me its only a tool ...buts its a knife and the fact is, i think, most folks, especially in urban environments, dont carry big knives and dont feel comfortable around those that do...and it, to most folks, doesnt 'fit' in the scenario and therefore they get frightened because of this

and there are lots of places that limit knives to under four inch blades before theyre considered a weapon

i prefer to lead with my head rather than my chin-
 
stevedenver said:
... most folks, especially in urban environments, dont carry big knives and dont feel comfortable around those that do...and it, to most folks, doesnt 'fit' in the scenario and therefore they get frightened because of this
Click to expand...

I like having a small knife for times when a small blade works better than a big blade. Clampacks are a case in point. I get more control over that tough plastic with a shorter blade, like a Boker Subcom.

But there is a Catch 22 effect when we see people flinch at a "big" blade because they don't carry knives and they fear them, so we don't use our larger knives in public, ... so they don't get used to seeing us using them, either, and then when we do, they freak.

At least get your family to understand you are not a serial killer for carrying a large SAK.

By the way, people who aren't comfortable with an OHT around are probably cutting their own steaks with a fully serrated cheap steak knife with an even longer blade that the restaurant supplies.

Perception. You don't have to make a big deal of it, but don't hamper yourself all the time by bowing to ignorance.
 
and of course dont hamper yourself by being oblivious of how other people react-thats not bowing to ignorance -its seeing the bigger picture

long ago i stopped using the word 'niggardly' because many folks dont understand the word and confuse it with one using a racial slur- i don try to 'educate' these folks-why?-because they have already made up their mind due to thier perceptions, ignorant or otherwise-if they suddenly think im a racist-thats my problem for not being aware that such a mis-communicatoin can happen

i probably wont even get the chance to correct things-i probably wont even know

i think youll have a mighty big task ahead of you if you try to singlehandedly 'desensitize' people by carrying the big knife

im not asying that you dont have a point, i just take an approach not to needlessly create issues-there are enough of significance already-EDC shouldnt be one of them imho
 
I'm not setting myself the task of trying to desensitize everybody I meet. But if I use a legal and appropriate tool, and someone else finds that scary, I won't curl up in a ball mumbling apologies for his psychological problems.

I worked in an office with a man who came to me once to suggest that when I signed my name to the letters I sent out, that I should do so with a smaller signature, since my large handwriting could be seen as overbearing or arrogant. Shades of John Hancock ...
 
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